I went over to the Nostalgia Spring Event at Island Dragway on Sunday May 1. Lots of cars were there and the weather was good almost all of the day until 6pm. Jerry was there with his firebird, and I had already decided to run all motor for the bracket-race event because the car is much more consistent that way at this point in the game. We got two time-shots (test runs) so I did one in each lane.
I have in-car video footage, and it had audio with it, but I think when I clipped the videos to length I didn't click the button for retaining the audio.. so that stinks, no sound. Sorry.
Pass 1: (test pass)
Footbraked the launch from a dead idle and launched at 966 rpms. Shifted 1-2 at 6,571 rpms and 2-3 at 6,386 rpms and going across the finish line at 5,949 rpms. Felt good, and turned out to be my best NA pass to date by a little bit. Track photographer snapped a photo of the leave, and the rear squat is looking much better with the air-bags and these taller tires... but it was nothing dramatic for a launch photo. .
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNgIE0JluEE
Timeslip:
Datalog :
Pass 2: (test pass)
After looking at the learn data and datalog, I was happy and left everything with the tune alone... in fact I just re-used the same tune as pass 1.
Car felt slower, and timeslip confirmed it, but not by too much. I think engine temp, air temp, and heat soak to the sniper tbi were a factor. Footbrake launch from 1741 rpms. Shifted 1-2 at 6,564, shifted 2-3 at 6,596 and finished at 5,931 rpms.
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqQvrPVv76g
Timeslip:
Datalog:
Pass 3: (Round 1 Eliminations)
Chatted with Jerry and some other racing guys about what to do. I think I over-estimated how much I would want/need to slow the car down, so it was probably my mistake by dialing in an 11.85. My thought process was that I could tap the brakes if I was too far out ahead. Instead, I left way late on the tree, and around the 1100 foot mark the car int he other lane blew past me. I had actually just started to get off the throttle (see green colored dip on datalog, that is the the Throttle position sensor), but then when he passed me I got right back on the throttle thinking I was going to now be wayyy slow. Instead, I was still well below my dial-in and got knocked out.
- Footbrake launched at from 1828 rpms. 1-2 shift was at 6,623 rpms and I tagged the rev limiter just a bit. 2-3 shift was 6,583 rpms and I crossed the line at 5,933 rpms which was weird because I had gotten out of the throttle just one second prior.
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUnwVphrTi4
Timeslip:
Datalog:
Pass 4: (test pass on nitrous)
I spoke to the track staff and as the event was winding down to a close (and the weather radar was showing a big rain storm coming right at us) I waited for more competition rounds to go on. When there was a break in the action, I did a solo test pass. I have been curious to move beyond the 150 nitrous shot, so I put in my home-math calculations for the 175 horsepower nitrous jets. I also knew that the track prep was great and the starting line should be great. but I didn't want to put a fixed 175 shot on the launch. So , I did a progressive ramp from 50% (of 175 hp) to 100% (of 175 hp) over the course of 1.4 seconds.
- I footbraked the launch and left at 2,032 rpms. I had the nitrous programmed to come on at 2,800 rpms and when it did, I felt the front drivers side wheel come up and then touch back down to the ground. The launch was great and was the best 60 foot I have had to date. In fact, everythign about the pass was the best to date, especially 106 mph in the 8th mile and the 10.601 e.t. Anyways, first gear ran up quick and it was on the rev limiter faster than I could react to, so I lost a little bit there, but I shifted 1-2 at 6,641. The 2-3 shift was at 6,536 rpms and I went through the finish line at 6,571 rpms. It felt fast, especially the first half of hte track. Was bittersweet to see my timeslip, because I was hioping that it was the 10.5x second pass I have been working towards, but instead it was just supppperrrr close to it. However, that means that I now know a 10.5x pass is possible. Mayyybe not a 130 mph speed though.
- I was pretty stoked about the 1-wheel in the air launch, but sadly, by this late hour in the day, the track photographers were long gone so I only have the dashcam footage (with no audio sadly) ad you can see the hood shake a little bit as the tire came down. But there was this video from the bleachers with audio, and I actually think the car sounds damn good with the true sound of just one small block chevy with a full muffled exhaust system and on nitrous going down the track.
Video (in car)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzFt4zYqYks
spectators video:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/gwdetMeYnuQ
Timeslip:
Datalog:
I am pretty sure that I can now go back one day when the track prep is really good and the track photographer is there in order to get a photo of the car lifting a wheel (or 2) up at the launch. I also think the 175 shot will get me into the 10.5x territory, but if not I can put in the jets for a 200 shot and that should be it.
-as I was packing the car up, the sky grew dark and rain drops started. Yet, it didn't rain too hard and I had a pretty easy drive home. Good times indeed. the car seems happy too.